Town/Gown Forum Considers the Local Challenges of COVID-19

Many members of the University of Massachusetts and Town of Amherst administrations participated in a one-hour forum on Zoom on Thursday, September 3 from 5 to 6 p.m. The forum aimed to consider the local challenges posed by COVID-19.  Town Manager Paul Bockelman, Town Council President Lynn Griesemer (District 2), Police Chief Scott Livingstone, and Code Enforcement Officer Jon Thompson represented the Town.  Tony Marulis,  Director of Community Relations, Sally Linowski, Associate Dean of Students for Off Campus Life,  Steve Goodwin, Deputy Chancellor,  Jefferey Hescock, Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety, and Brandi Hephner Labanc, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs were among the several representatives from UMass.  The entire forum can be viewed here. Rolanda Burney, Chief of Staff to the Chancellor, moderated the forum. Most questions were submitted in advance.

Many questions dealt with testing for COVID-19. UMass has tested more than 8,000 individuals, running over 20,000 tests over the first few weeks in session. Amherst is fourth in the state for the number of tests run after Boston, Worcester, and Cambridge. They are using a molecular PCR test that gives results in 24 to 36 hours. Students living off campus have been tested twice, and will be tested a third time soon.  Students living on campus are tested twice weekly.

If students test positive, they are given support in isolating from others, as well as mental health services. They are urged to remain on campus, rather than returning home, but sometimes parents insist that they go home. Support is given to students living off campus as well. The University makes an effort to keep local addresses up to date to aid in results notification and contact tracing. There is a shared database for the state (MAVIN), where statistics for all Massachusetts communities are recorded. 

Much of the meeting dealt with safety in the community at large. Both the University and Town stress education rather than punishment of risky student behavior, though egregious violations of public health guidelines can result in suspension from the University or a fine from the Town. Bockelman announced the creation of a COVID-19 Concern Line at 413-549-2425 or covidconcerns@amherstma.gov for people to report concerns about improperly large gatherings or noncompliance with the mask rules. In the first five days, there were over 40 calls received. All will be followed up on the next work day, but the line is monitored seven days a week.

One person asked whether UMass could begin to check waste water in dorms for early detection of COVID-19 infections, as is being done at the University of Arizona and RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).  Steve Goodwin responded that they are looking into it.

The University and Town are continuing to monitor the state of COVID-19 closely, and will continue to work together. The University’s plans for the Spring semester will depend on the success of the safety measures this fall.